VA Struggled with Veterans Benefits, Per Report

The Veterans Administration and VA hospitals all over the country have been mired in controversy for months because of fake waiting lists and long wait times for treatments that, in many cases, led to the deaths of veterans. Now, a report shows that the VA also had difficulty paying veterans benefits to those who were wounded or who grew ill while serving in the US military.

The VA Office of the Inspector General said that the VA managed, last year, to reduce a huge number of backlogged veterans benefits and get former servicemen and –women the benefits they needed, but the expense of appeals to VA decisions are rapidly mounting.

Written testimony was supplied by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ahead of a congressional hearing about VA hospital delays. The report outlines several “sloppy and improper steps” taken by the Department of Veterans Affairs while processing claims for veterans benefits, including inflated success in reducing the veterans benefits backlog, and overpaying some veterans’ claims by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“These are challenging times for the VA,” says Linda Halliday, an assistant inspector general who authored the written testimony.

In response to the claims about veterans benefits’ processing, the VA released its own written testimony, claiming that the agency enjoyed “tremendous success” cutting the backlog of veterans benefits claims last year.

The cost of veterans benefits accounts for half of the VA’s budget, with an expected $73 billion to be paid out this year alone. As veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars return home, and the success of veterans appealing claims decisions regarding post-traumatic stress disorder and illness from contact with Agent Orange, the veterans benefits backlog soared to 850,000 last year.

VA spokeswoman Allison Hickey, who delivered the VA’s written testimony on Monday, said that the administration managed to cut that backlog by 55% last year. The VA describes “backlog” as any veterans benefit claim waiting longer than 125 days. She said the processors completed nearly 1.2 million compensation requests in 2013. She added that this year, the VA has already completed 1 million veterans benefits claims, and she said the agency was likely to resolve 1.3 million more before the end of the year, which is a processing record.

However, investigations into the program show that the VA’s claims are overblown. About 7,800 of the older veterans benefits claims were subtracted from the reported VA backlog before processors finished working on them. In fact, 6,860 of those cases were still being processed as of January of this year, although they were reported as completed in 2013.

“Some veterans may never have received a final rating decision if not for our review,” says Halliday’s written testimony to be delivered Monday. She added that veterans benefits claims processors were working too fast, which led to too many mistakes. “Generally, these errors occurred because (processors) felt pressured to complete these claims,” she says.

Other mistakes regarding veterans benefits include: failing to follow up with 100% temporary total disability claims, leading to an estimated $85 million overpaid since 2012; failure to check whether National Guard troops and federal reservists are receiving both drill pay and VA compensation, which is illegal under federal law, and that failure has resulted in an estimated $50-$100 million overpaid in compensation; and finally, the focus on reducing the veterans benefits claims backlog has resulted in failure in other responsibilities, especially processing pending appeals, which have increased 18% since 2011.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Social Security Benefits Claim for Disability, Retirement, or Veterans Benefits

Applying for Veterans Benefits can be complex, especially with all the problems that the VA faces. However, we understand that you need your benefits and we will put our years of experience to work for you to ensure that you have the representation necessary to actively pursue your claim. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm have experience with Veterans Benefits, Social Security Disability, and Social Security Insurance claims. We will be glad to discuss any questions you may have during our free, confidential consultation. Call the experienced attorneys at the Strom Law Firm at (803)252-4800.

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